Imagine a safety record where derailments account for nearly three quarters of all accidents, trespassers represent 94% of fatalities, and the economic toll runs into the billions annually—this is the stark reality of U.S. railroad safety captured by the latest data.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, U.S. railroads reported 1,257 train accidents, a 7% increase from 2021, primarily due to track and equipment failures.
- Derailments accounted for 72% of all railroad accidents in 2020, totaling 981 incidents.
- Highway-rail incidents at public crossings numbered 2,064 in 2022.
- From 2012-2021, there were 14,724 highway-rail grade crossing incidents resulting in 2,726 fatalities.
- Railroad trespassing caused 618 fatalities in 2022, representing 94% of all rail-related deaths.
- In 2021, 1,044 train accidents occurred, with 12 on-track employee fatalities.
- Human factors contributed to 38.5% of train accident causes between 2001-2010 according to NTSB analysis.
- Track geometry defects were responsible for 29% of mainline derailments from 2017-2021.
- Mechanical failures caused 15% of accidents investigated by NTSB from 2015-2022.
- The economic cost of railroad accidents in 2019 was estimated at $5.4 billion, including damages and delays.
- Total railroad damages from accidents in 2022 exceeded $360 million.
- Average cost per train accident was $1.2 million in damages in 2020.
- Grade crossing collisions decreased by 25% from 2010 to 2020 due to safety upgrades.
- Positive Train Control (PTC) prevented 59 potential accidents in its first year of full operation in 2021.
- Rail accident rates per million train-miles fell 45% from 2000 to 2020.
U.S. railroad accidents are frequent and costly, though major safety investments are improving results.
Casualties
- From 2012-2021, there were 14,724 highway-rail grade crossing incidents resulting in 2,726 fatalities.
- Railroad trespassing caused 618 fatalities in 2022, representing 94% of all rail-related deaths.
- In 2021, 1,044 train accidents occurred, with 12 on-track employee fatalities.
- From 2000-2020, 65% of rail fatalities were trespassers aged 15-44.
- FRA reported 7 motor vehicle occupant fatalities at grade crossings in Q1 2023.
- 2021 saw 1,230 nonfatal injuries to railroad employees in accidents.
- Trespasser fatalities dropped 12% from 2021 to 2022 to 618.
- From 2012-2021, 9,936 grade crossing injuries occurred.
- 45 railroad-on-railroad fatalities in 2022, all trespasser-related.
- Non-train incident injuries totaled 6,720 in 2022.
- 12 on-duty employee fatalities in train accidents in 2022.
- Trespassers accounted for 582 fatalities in 2021.
- Motorists killed at crossings: 252 in 2022.
- Grade crossing fatalities: 2,230 from 2012-2021.
- 626 trespasser deaths in 2020.
- 6,814 non-train injuries in 2021.
- Pedestrian trespasser fatalities: 94% of rail deaths in 2022.
- 229 highway-rail fatalities in 2022.
- On-duty fatalities: 12 in 2022 train accidents.
- Grade crossing injuries: 870 in 2022.
- Trespasser injuries: 470 in 2022.
- Employee nonfatal injuries: 5,981 in 2022.
- Motor vehicle deaths at crossings: 252 in 2022.
- 2,726 crossing fatalities 2012-2021.
- Contractor fatalities: 8 in 2022.
Casualties Interpretation
While safety efforts rightly focus on securing crossings, the stark reality is that the most dangerous place on the railroad isn't the crossing—it's the track itself, where a single decision to trespass accounts for nearly all rail-related deaths.
Causes
- Human factors contributed to 38.5% of train accident causes between 2001-2010 according to NTSB analysis.
- Track geometry defects were responsible for 29% of mainline derailments from 2017-2021.
- Mechanical failures caused 15% of accidents investigated by NTSB from 2015-2022.
- Signals involved in 22% of train collisions between 2010-2019.
- Weather conditions factored in 8% of derailments from 2018-2022 per FRA data.
- Human error in switching caused 41% of yard accidents in 2019.
- Broken rails led to 19% of derailments on Class I railroads 2017-2021.
- Over-speeding contributed to 11% of NTSB-investigated accidents 2010-2020.
- Maintenance errors caused 27% of track-related accidents in 2021.
- Drug/alcohol violations in 2.1% of FRA post-accident tests in 2022.
- Switch failures involved in 18% of yard derailments 2018-2022.
- Defective wheels caused 14% of freight car derailments 2017-2021.
- Signal problems in 16% of collision causes per NTSB 2015-2022.
- Human factors: 35% of all rail accidents 2008-2017.
- Track defects: 32% of FRA-reportable derailments 2020.
- Brake failures: 12% of mechanical derailments 2019-2022.
- Geometry issues: 25% of Class I derailments 2021.
- Misaligned switches: 21% of yard accidents 2020-2022.
- Alcohol-positive tests: 1.2% in post-accident sampling 2022.
- Overweight cars: 9% of derailment causes 2017-2021.
- Signal passed at danger: 13% of collisions 2015-2022.
- Track buckle due to heat: 7% of summer derailments.
- Defective journal bearings: 11% of mechanical failures.
- Dispatcher errors: 5% of signal-related accidents.
- Human factors in 38.5% of accidents 2001-2010.
Causes Interpretation
Despite humans being our most sophisticated component, these statistics suggest we are ironically the railroad's most frequent point of failure, with tracks and equipment not far behind in the race to derail perfection.
Economic Costs
- The economic cost of railroad accidents in 2019 was estimated at $5.4 billion, including damages and delays.
- Total railroad damages from accidents in 2022 exceeded $360 million.
- Average cost per train accident was $1.2 million in damages in 2020.
- Railroad industry invested $25 billion in safety from 2010-2020.
- Cost of grade crossing accidents averaged $500,000 per incident in 2019.
- Total rail damages from incidents reached $287 million in 2021.
- Average derailment cost $2.5 million in 2020.
- Rail safety investment: $28 billion by Class I carriers 2015-2022.
- Comprehensive safety costs: $6.5 billion annually average 2018-2022.
- Damages from collisions: $95 million in 2022.
- Cost per fatality in rail accidents: $9.4 million estimated 2020.
- $360 million in rail damages 2022.
Economic Costs Interpretation
While pouring tens of billions into safety, the railroad industry still watches billions more spectacularly derail, collide, and cross into harm's way, proving that preventing financial carnage is a costly and ongoing battle of logistics against gravity and misfortune.
Incident Types
- In 2022, U.S. railroads reported 1,257 train accidents, a 7% increase from 2021, primarily due to track and equipment failures.
- Derailments accounted for 72% of all railroad accidents in 2020, totaling 981 incidents.
- Highway-rail incidents at public crossings numbered 2,064 in 2022.
- Collisions between trains made up 4% of incidents but 25% of damages in 2022.
- Head-on collisions averaged 15 per year from 2015-2022.
- 2,212 highway-rail crossing incidents in 2021 with 236 fatalities.
- Rear-end collisions numbered 48 in 2022.
- 1,257 total accidents in 2022, including 229 highway-rail deaths.
- Train-to-train collisions: 57 from 2018-2022.
- 2,064 public crossing incidents in 2022.
- Side collisions: 22 incidents in 2022.
- Total accidents: 1,044 in 2021.
- Derailments: 72% of accidents, 981 in 2022.
- Train accident total: 1,257 including nonfatal casualties.
- Highway-rail collisions: 2,212 in 2021.
- Rear-end collisions: 48 in 2022 per FRA.
- Total incidents: 14,724 grade crossings 2012-2021.
- Derailments on mainline: 650 in 2022.
Incident Types Interpretation
While the railway industry might boast that 72% of accidents are merely derailments—as if that's a comfort—the data reveals a system where track failures are routine, train collisions are catastrophically expensive, and the annual dance with automobiles at crossings remains a tragic and bloody routine.
Safety Trends
- Grade crossing collisions decreased by 25% from 2010 to 2020 due to safety upgrades.
- Positive Train Control (PTC) prevented 59 potential accidents in its first year of full operation in 2021.
- Rail accident rates per million train-miles fell 45% from 2000 to 2020.
- PTC systems operated over 58 million miles without accident in 2022.
- Accident/incident rate was 1.98 per 100 WYDs in 2022 for Class I rails.
- Derailments decreased 5% from 2021 to 2022 to 981 events.
- Rail employee casualty rate dropped to 1.22 per 200,000 hours in 2022.
- PTC avoided 1,400+ unsafe movements since 2016.
- Accident rate per million tons: 0.85 in 2022, down from 1.02 in 2012.
- Injury rate for contractors: 3.45 per 200k hours in 2022.
- PTC mileage: 61 million revenue miles accident-free in 2022.
- Fatality rate per million train miles: 0.45 in 2022.
- Accident frequency index down 50% since 2000.
- PTC prevented 59 accidents in 2021.
Safety Trends Interpretation
While the ghost of train mishaps past still whispers cautionary tales, the modern railroad, armed with vigilant tech like PTC and relentless safety upgrades, is steadily laying a new track record of impressive, hard-won reliability.
Sources & References
- Reference 1SAFETYDATAsafetydata.fra.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 2FRAfra.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 3NTSBntsb.govVisit source
- Reference 4RAILROADSrailroads.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 5GAOgao.govVisit source
- Reference 6BTSbts.govVisit source
- Reference 7BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 8AARaar.orgVisit source